The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-05-26
DECORATION DAY,

y nltlc more lhdH u quarter u Vcll-
tury ago the first gun was fired ut fort
Sumptcr. What commotion was there
then! The bell of destiny had sounded
and sent its pealing echoes throughout the
land, \ great civil war was about to
commence, and who could tell how long
ii would last or who would be the first
and last to fall? The God of battles on
" knew. And it was well that the future
was hid from the eyes of the people. 1t
was well that they could not foresee the
devastation of war that was soon to sweep
over this land.
After the fall of fort Sumpter Presi-
dent Lincoln issued call for sevcnty-fiye
thousand volunteers. The call was quick
ly answered, and soon was more than filed,
The farmer left his plow in the furrow;
the mechanic left his work unfinished;
the anvil of the blacksmith rang out no
more to the measured beat of the hammer
the minister of the gospel left his sermon
unwritten and the lawyer left his case
unplead. Professors and even students
left their Studies and FASTENED to the
| call. Boys in their teens, young men in
the prime of life, gray headed Secrs, each
and all, enlisted that they might strike
| blow where it was needed. Not only men,
but women enlisted to participate in all
the horrors of field nurse. Our fathers
and mothers saw them 90. They were
brothers, husbands, sons and cousins
some of them never to return. Fathers
and mothers saw their sons, in the full
hope of manhood, with young hearts
beating high and strong, march away
from their homes with tears in their eyes
and with trembling as they babe them
| their last "good-by." Wives clinging at
fcctionately to their husbands cntreating
them to return safely home, Sisters par
ting with their brothers, saying fare the
we'll" These soldiers were seen to pass
away rapidly by rail or stage coach way
ing their caps as they went. They parted
receiving the kindly advice, Put your
trust in God and keep your powder dry
! They soon reached Washington and were
detailed for duty. We all know the rest,
We have read of the terrific encounters
that ensued. The history of the civil war
has been attentively read by both old and
young, from the first general engagement
at Bull Run to the final struggle at Pc
tcroburg and Richmond. We have read
of the Union defeat at Balls Bluff, of the
bloody encounter at Manassas Junction
of the dark days in the Wilderness, of the
heroes who fell at Spotsylvania and OF
thc terrible struggle at Fair Oaks and
Malvern Hill. We have read how Sher.
man conducted his famous March to tho
sea" how his army crossed the mountains
OF Virginia and Tennessee, bristling witt
rebel Notifications; how they charged III
the heights of Lookout mountain anC
} fought battle above the clouds and how
the ChickahOminy ran rivers of blood a
the battle of Cold Harbor. Among tn,
encounters that will ever be memmorabl,
are the battles of Murfresborougb. An
uetam, Gettysburg, ShlO and Chica
, manga. Thus pursuing the enemy ant
sometime being pursued by them. I'll,
! Union forces at last drove the Coufcder
ate army INTO Richmond where they wer,
destined to be Ovelp0wered by Grant.
How slowly those four long, wear,
years of war passed away and what sac
rifices of life and property were made.
At last the confcderatcs were complete
: ly exhausted and at Appomatox on tn,
afternoon of Palm Sunday. April the 9tl
1860 Lee and his army capltulated t.
g the victorious Grant, thus, virtually. end
ing the war. How great was the iov il
all parts of the North when this news wa,
made known. The long war was ended
1t had cost over a half million of live.
besides an average of more than a million
dollars day But great purpose bat
been accomplished, well worth the sacri
flee, slavery, 1.-THE sum of all villanies" hat
been abolished and the Nation united ney
er again to be severed.
Now that the war had ended the sol
dierS, those boys, men and grev-hairct
sccrs, were to return home. But wbat
a contrast to those who answered tn,
presidents calls. Instead of squads OF
well ordered troops these were the latter
cd remnants of Il vast army. Some wer,
manned for life, while others had contrac
ted disease. Many had returned before
some severely wounded or sick, Will,
others-thcir friends saw their coffin,
come amid the beats of muffled drums
But alas all were not brought back tina
their ashes might repose in the soil OF
Their native State. Thousands lie wber,
they fell, in namclcss graves among th,
Pile-lrlngcd spurs of the Blue Ridge; Il
mong the palmetto groves of the Carroll
mas; among the marshes of Louisiana ant
Florida; among the cotton fields of Ala
Dana and Georgia and on the fertile prai
RES OF Arkansas and Missouri. Hun
dreds lie in the Wilderness and the hin,
barrcns are covered with their graves
They went down not to be forgotten. but
their memory lives in the hearts of tn,
people. The ranks of those who survived
are yearly diminished by the sword OF
time. The general and private alike shar,
the same inevitable fate. From the sum
NIT of Mount McGregor the soul of tb,
noble and patriotic Grant went out tc
meet the great Commander of all. Nc
Clelians lamp of life has been extinguish
ed on the sands of the jersey shore aDt
other chieftains, too, have gone. So TO
day let us deck the graves of the deat
heroes with flowers, the symbolic Ian
suase OF man. Place garlands on the so,
over their cold brows, in honor of theil
services to their country and its posterity
For those who fought on the confeder
ate side some excuse is to be made. The,
were taught from their childhood tba
| their first allp1iapc,. ,-oa IL.